The loss of her sight made but a small | ladies, and, as the foundation-stone of a abatement of her cheerfulness, and was fund for its future subsistence, she bescarce any interruption of her studies. With queathed to it the whole of the little which the assistance of two female friends, she she had been able to accumulate. To the translated from the French of Père La Ble- endowments and qualities here ascribed to trie "the Life of the Emperor Julian 1," her, may be added, a larger share of experand, in 1766, she published, by subscription, imental prudence than is the lot of most of a quarto volume of miscellanies, in prose her sex. Johnson, in many exigences, and verse, and thereby increased her little found her an able counsellor, and seldom fund to three hundred pounds, which, being showed his wisdom more than when he prudently invested, yielded an income that, hearkened to her advice. In return, she under such protection as she experienced received from his conversation the advanfrom Dr. Johnson, was sufficient for her tages of religious and moral improvement, support. which she cultivated so, as in a great measShe was a woman of an enlightened under-ure to smooth the constitutional asperity of standing; plain, as it is called, in her person, her temper. When these particulars are and easily provoked to anger, but possess-known, this intimacy, which began with ing, nevertheless, some excellent moral qual- compassion, and terminated in a friendship ities, among which no one was more con- that subsisted till death dissolved it, will be spicuous than her desire to promote the wel- easily accounted for. fare and happiness of others, and of this she gave a signal proof, by her solicitude in favour of an institution for the maintenance and education of poor deserted females in the parish of St. Sepulchre, London, supported by the voluntary contributions of

[Mrs. Chapone, in one of her ED. letters, gives an interesting account of her meeting Johnson and Miss Williams at Richardson's country-house near Fulham, about this time.

66 MRS. CHAPONE TO MISS CARTER.
“10th July, 1752.

Chap.

vol. i.

p. 72.

"Lady Phillips made her a small annual allowance, and some other Welsh ladies, to all of "We had a visit, whilst at North whom she was related. Mrs. Montagu, on the end, from your friend Mr. Johnson Works, death of Mr. Montagu, settled upon her (by deed) and poor Mrs. Williams. I was ten pounds per annum,-As near as I can calcu- charmed with his behaviour to her, late, Mrs. Williams had about thirty-five or forty which was like that of a fond father to his pounds a year. The furniture she used [in her daughter. She seemed much pleased with her apartment in Dr. Johnson's house] was her own; visit; showed very good sense, with a great her expenses were small, tea and bread and but-deal of modesty and humility; and so much ter being at least half of her nourishment. Sometimes she had a servant or char-woman to do the ruder offices of the house; but she was herself active and industrious. I have frequently seen her at work. Upon remarking one day her facility in moving about the house, searching into drawers, and finding books, without the help of sight, Believe me (said she), persons who can not do these common offices without sight, did but little while they enjoyed that blessing.'Scanty circumstances, bad health, and blindness, are surely a sufficient apology for her being sometimes impatient her natural disposition was good, friendly, and humane."-MALONE.

patience and cheerfulness under her misfortune, that it doubled my concern for her. Mr. Johnson was very communicative and entertaining, and did me the honour to address most of his discourse to me. I had the assurance to dispute with him on the subject of human malignity, and wondered to hear a man, who, by his actions, shows so much benevolence, maintain that the human heart is naturally malevolent, and that all the benevolence we see in the few who are good is acquired by reason and religion. You may believe I entirely disagreed with him, being, as you know, fully persuaded that benevolence, or the love of our fellowcreatures, is as much a part of our natures as self-love; and that it cannot be ed or, extinguished without great violence suppressfrom the force of other passions. I told him, I suspected him of these bad notions from some of his Ramblers, and had accused him to you; but that you had persuaded me I had mistaken his sense. To which he answered, that if he had betrayed such sentiments in the Ramblers, it was without design; for that he believed that the doctrine of human malevolence, though a true one, is not a useful one, and ought not to be pub'See it mentioned in Nichols's Life of Bowyer.lished to the world. Is there any truth that

[The following description of Mrs. Williams (at a later date) may be here introduced: "I see her now a pale, shrunken old lady, dressed in scarlet, made in the handsome French fashion of the time (1775), with a lace cap, with two stiffened projecting wings on the temples, and a black lace hood over it. Her temper has been

recorded as marked with Welsh fire, and this might be excited by some of the meaner inmates of the upper floors [of Dr. Johnson's house]; but her gentle kindness to me I never shall forget, or think consistent with a bad temper. I know nobody from whose discourse there was a better chance of deriving high ideas of moral rectitude." -Miss Hawkins's Memoirs, vol. 2, p. 152. ED.]

p. 322, 327.

would not be useful, or that should not be | Diamond, an apothecary in Cork-street, known?"] Burlington-gardens, with whom he and [By some papers, in the hands of Mrs. Williams generally dined every SunHawk. Sir John Hawkins, it seems that, day. There was a talk of his going to notwithstanding Johnson was paid Iceland with him, which would probably for writing the Rambler, he had have happened, had he lived. There were a remaining interest in the copy-right of also Mr. Cave, Dr. Hawkesworth, Mr. that paper, which about this time he sold. Ryland, merchant on Tower-hill, Mrs. The produce thereof, the pay he was receiv- Masters, the poetess, who lived with Mr. ing for his papers in the Adventurer 1, and Cave, Mrs. Carter, and sometimes Mrs. the fruits of his other literary labours, had Macaulay 5; also, Mrs. Gardiner, wife of now exalted him to such a state of com- a tallow-chandler, on Snow-hill, not in the parative 2 affluence, as, in his judgment, learned way, but a worthy good woman 6; made a man-servant necessary. Soon after Mr. (now Sir Joshua) Reynolds; Mr. Milthe decease of Mrs. Johnson, the father ler, Mr. Dodsley, Mr. Boquet, Mr. Payne, of Dr. Bathurst arrived in England, from of Paternoster-row, booksellers; Mr. Stra Jamaica, and brought with him a negro- han, the printer; the Earl of Orrery 7, servant, a native of that island, whom Lord Southwell, Mr. Garrick." he caused to be baptized, and named Francis Barber, and sent for instruction to Burton-upon-Tees, in Yorkshire. Upon the decease of Captain Bathurst (for so he was called), Francis went to live with his son, who willingly parted with him to Johnson. The uses for which he was intended to serve this his last master were not very apparent, for Diogenes himself never wanted a servant less than he seemed to do. The great bushy wig, which, throughout his life, he affected to wear, by that closeness of texture which it had contracted and been suffered to retain, was ever nearly as impenetrable by a comb as a quickset hedge; and little of the dust that had once settled on his outer garments was ever known to have been disturbed by the brush.]

From Mr. Francis Barber I have had the following authentick and artless account of the situation in which he found him recently after his wife's death: "He was in great affliction. Mrs. Williams was then living in his house, which was in Gough-square. He was busy with the Dictionary. Mr. Shiels, and some others of the gentlemen who had formerly written for him, used to come about him. He had then little for himself, but frequently sent money to Mr. Shiels 3 when in distress. The friends who visited him at that time were chiefly Dr. Bathurst, and Mr.

1 [Mr. Boswell states on evidence, which (however improbable the fact) it is hard to resist, that Johnson resigned to Dr. Bathurst some, if not all, the profits of the Adventurer, which at most were two guineas a paper for about thirty papers. -ED.]

2 [This is hardly consistent with all the other accounts, which lead to a belief that Johnson was, from the death of his wife in 1752, to the time of his pension in 1762, in very narrow circumstances. He most probably was induced to take the negro by charity and his love for Dr. Bathurst. -ED.]

Many are, no doubt, omitted in this catalogue of his friends, and in particular, his humble friend Mr. Robert Levet, an obscure practiser in physick amongst the lower people, his fees being sometimes very small sums, sometimes whatever provisions his patients could afford him; but of such extensive practice in that way, that Mrs. Williams has told me his walk was from Houndsditch to Marybone. It appears,

4 [Mary Masters published a small volume of poems about 1738, and, in 1755-“ Familiar Letters and Poems," in octavo. She is suppos ed to have died about 1759.-ED.]

5 [Catharine Sawbridge, sister of Mrs. Alderman Sawbridge, was born in 1733; but it was not till 1760 that she was married to Dr. Macauly, a physician; so that Barber's account was, She was married a second time, in 1778, to a in respect to her, incorrect, either in date or name. She died in 1791.-ED.] Mr. Graham, with no increase of respectability.

[With this good woman, who was introduced to him by Mrs. Masters, he kept up a constant intercourse, and remembered her in his will, by the bequest of a book. See post, Nov. 1783.ED.]

7 [John Boyle, born in 1707; educated first under the private tuition of Fenton the poet, and afterwards, at Westminster school and Christ Church College, Oxford; succeeded his father as fifth Earl of Orrery in 1737; D. C. L. of Oxford in 1743; F. R. S. in 1750; and, on the death of his cousin, 1753, fifth Earl of Corke. He published several works, but the only original one of any note is his Life of Swift, written with great professions of friendship, but in fact with considerable severity towards the dean. Lord Orrery's acquaintance may have tended to increase Johnson's aversion to Swift. Lord Orrery's estate was much encumbered, and his circumstances were consequently embarrassed. Mr. Tyers intimates (Biog. Sk. p. 7.) that, if it had been in his power, Lord Orrery would have afforded Johnson pecuniary assistance.—ED.]

8

[Thomas, second Lord Southwell, F. R., S., born 1698, succeeded his father in 1720, and died 1766.-ED.]

from Johnson's diary, that their acquain- | Cotterells, daughters of Admiral Cotterell 4. tance commenced about the year 1746; and Reynolds 5 used also to visit there, and thus such was Johnson's predilection for him, they met. Mr. Reynolds, as I have oband fanciful estimation of his moderate abil- served above, had, from the first reading of ities, that I have heard him say he should his "Life of Savage," conceived a very not be satisfied, though attended by all the high admiration of Johnson's powers of college of physicians, unless he had Mr. writing. His conversation no less delightLevet with him. Ever since I was ac- ed him; and he cultivated his acquaintance quainted with Dr. Johnson, and many with the laudable zeal of one who was ambiSir Joshua, years before, as I have been assured by tious of general improvement. those who knew him earlier, Mr. Levet had indeed, was lucky enough, at their very first an apartment in his house, or his cham- meeting, to make a remark, which was so bers, and waited upon him every morning, much above the common-place style of conthrough the whole course of his late and versation, that Johnson at once perceived tedious breakfast. He was of a strange that Reynolds had the habit of thinking grotesque appearance, stiff and formal in for himself. The ladies were regretting his manner, and seldom said a word while the death of a friend, to whom they owed great obligations; upon which Reynolds any company was present 1. observed, "You have, however, the comfort of being relieved from a burden of gratitude." They were shocked a little at this alleviating suggestion, as too selfish; but Johnson defended it in his clear and forcible manner, and was much pleased with the mind, the fair view of human nature 6 which it exhibited, like some of the

The circle of his friends, indeed, at this time was extensive and various, far beyond what has been generally imagined 2. To trace his acquaintance with each particular person, if it could be done, would be a task, of which the labour would not be repaid by the advantage. But exceptions are to be made; one of which must be a friend so eminent as Sir Joshua Reynolds, who was truly his dulce decus, and with two in his letters to Barretti (see post, 1761 and whom he maintained an uninterrupted in- 1762), that these ladies were connexions of his timacy to the last hour of life. When wife, but Dr. Harwood informs me, on the auJohnson lived in Castle-street, Cavendish-thority of Mrs. Pearson, that there was no relasquare, he used frequently to visit two tionship.-ED.] ladies, who lived opposite to him 3, Miss

4 ["Captain Charles Cotterell retired totally from the service in July, 1747, being put, with a number of other gentlemen, on the superannuated list, with the rank and pay of a rear-admiral. Biog. Nav.-ED.] He died in July, 1754.’

5

1 A more particular account of this person may be found in the Gentleman's Magazine for February, 1785. It originally appeared in the St. James's Chronicle, and, I believe, was written [It would be naturally inferred from Mr. by the late George Steevens, Esq.-MALONE.. Boswell's account, that the acquaintance between 2 [Mr. Murphy, who is, as to this period, bet- Johnson and Sir Joshua took place so early as the ter authority than Mr. Boswell, says, "It was time when the former resided in Castle-street. late in life before he had the habit of mixing, This can hardly have been the case. Reynolds, otherwise than occasionally, with polite compa- then a youth under age, passed the years 1741 ny; and Dr. Harwood has favoured me with the and 1742 in London, but did not again revisit the following memorandum, in Johnson's writing, metropolis till the end of 1752. (See Northmade about this time, of certain visits which he cote's Life, p. 12, 31, and 32.) That the acwas to make (perhaps on his return from Ox-quaintance did not commence on the first visit, is ford in 1754), and which, as it contains the names of some of the highest and lowest of his acquaintance, is probably a list of nearly all his friends:

Bathurst
Grainger
Baker
Weston

Simpson
Rose
Giffard

proved by its having occurred after the publication of the Life of Savage, which was in 1744. Barber also must have been in error when he des cribed, Reynolds as one of Johnson's intimates at the period of his wife's death.-ED.]

6 Johnson himself has a sentiment somewhat similar in his 87th Rambler: "There are minds so impatient of inferiority, that their gratitude is a species of revenge, and they return benefits, not because recompense is a pleasure, but because obligation is a pain."-J. BOSWELL. [This is, no doubt," a somewhat similar sentiment;" but in the Rambler, Johnson mentions it with the censure it deserves; whereas, in the text, he is Gregory represented as applauding it. Such an observaDesmoulins tion is very little like the usual good manners, Lloyd good nature, and good sense of Sir Joshua; and we cannot but suspect the authority, whatever it was, on which Boswell admitted this anecdote, ED.]

Fowke

Millar

Craster

Richardson

Boyle

Sherrard.

ED.] [It might be inferred, from an expression or

reflections of Rochefoucault. The consequence was, that he went home with Reynolds, and supped with him.

Sir Joshua told me a pleasant characteristical anecdote of Johnson about the time of their first acquaintance. When they were one evening together at the Miss Cotterells', the then Duchess of Argyle and another lady of high rank came in. Johnson thinking that the Miss Cotterells were too much engrossed by them, and that he and his friend were neglected, as low company, of whom they were somewhat ashamed, grew angry; and resolving to shock their supposed pride, by making their great visitors imagine that his friend and he were low indeed, he addressed himself in a loud tone to Mr. Reynolds, saying, "How much do you think you and I could get in a week, if we were to work as hard as we could?" as if they had been common mechanicks.

nied the army from England; he probably, therefore, joined the expedition in the West Indies.

Harwood's

"DR. BATHURST TO DR. JOHNSON. "Barbadoes, 13 Jan. 1757. "DEAR SIR,-The many acts of friendship and affection you Harwood have conferred upon me, so fully p. 451, 452. convince me of your being interested in my welfare, that even my present stupidity will not prevent my taking a pen in my hand to acquaint you that I am this instant arrived safe at Barbadoes, and I hope I may add, without having forgot all your lessons; and I am confident not without praying most fervently that the Supreme Being will enable me to deserve the approbation and friendship of so great and so good a man: alas! you little know how undeserving I am of the favours I have received from you. May health and happiness forever attend [Of Dr. Bathurst, who stands you. Excuse my dropping my pen, for it Piozzi, first in the foregoing list of his is impossible that it should express the gratfriends, Dr. Johnson told Mrs. Pi-itude that is due to you, from your most ozzi that he loved "dear, dear Bathurst, affectionate friend, and most obliged serbetter than he ever loved any human crea- vant, "RICHARD BATHURST. ture;" and it was on him that he bestowed the singular eulogy of being a good hater. "Dear Bathurst," said he to Mrs. Piozzi, was a man to my very heart's content; he hated a fool, and he hated a rogue, and he hated a whig-he was a very good hater!"]

p. 14, 64.

Dr. Bathurst, though a physician of no inconsiderable merit, had not the good fortune to get much practice in London 2. He was, therefore, willing to accept of employment abroad, and, to the regret of all who knew him, fell a sacrifice to the destructive climate, in the expedition against the Havannah. Mr. Langton recollects the following passage in a letter from Dr. Johnson to Mr. Beauclerk: "The Havannah is taken;-a conquest too dearly obtained; for Bathurst died before it.

"Vix Priamus tanti totaque Troja fuit." [It would seem from the two folED. lowing letters that Dr. Bathurst left London and returned to the West Indies some years before the expedition against the Havannah; nor is his name to be found in the list of medical officers who accompa

[Jane Warburton, second wife of John, second Duke of Argyle. His Grace died in 1743. She survived till 1767.-ED.]

2 [Sir John Hawkins is the authority on which these few and meagre particulars, relative to Dr. Bathurst, have been preserved. He adds, how ever, that Dr. Bathurst, before he went abroad, had been elected physician to an hospital (the Middlesex); but though Sir John tells so little (and that little not, it seems, very correctly) of the immediate subject of his notice, he gives a

"P. S. Let me trouble you with compliments to Miss Williams, to Mrs. Lennox, to Dr. Lawrence, and his family; in short, to all who shall be so obliging as to inquire after me; and if it will put you to no great inconvenience, let me beg that you will send to Mr. Scrocold and to Mr. Bathurst an account of my arrival at this place. I know you will call me a lazy dog, and, in truth, I deserve it; but I am afraid I shall never mend. I have indeed long known that I can love my friends without being able to tell them so. I find that I can write a long postscript, though I was not bred in Mr. Richardson's school: how easy is it to copy imperfections.-Is it not better to be blind than to be able to see our faults without being able to correct them? I must entreat you once more, my dear Mr. Johnson, to continue your forgiveness to me. Adieu, my dearest friend."

"DR. BATHURST TO DR JOHNSON.
"Jamaica. 18 March, 1757.

Hist. Lich.

"DEAR SIR,-In compliance with my promise to acquaint you Harwood's by the first conveyance of my p. 452. arrival at this place, I have now taken a pen into my hand, but with what fear and dread it is impossible for me to express; the danger of offending the best of friends, to whom I stand indebted for all the little virtue and knowledge that I have, could scarcely compel me to it; and I now very amusing account of the various characters and fortunes of several of the medical profession in London about the middle of the last century. See his Life of Johnson, pp. 234, &c.—ED.]